Many containers of all types are provided with covers that are hinged to the base portion of the containers so that the containers may be readily opened and closed. While some containers are provided with a means to maintain the cover latched to the container base when in a closed position, few, if any, provide a means to maintain the cover in an open position and out of the way of the user.
The need to maintain container covers in an open position is particularly prevalent in large containers, such as refuse containers, and especially in those which are provided with wheels for the facile transporting of the containers. In these instances the container cover is usually hinged to the body at the top thereof on the same side that the wheels are positioned near the bottom thereof. The user then can transport the container by tilting it so that all of its weight is on the wheels. However, in so doing, if the cover is swung open from the container base and is not affixed thereto in the open position, the cover can flop or swing away from the container, undesirably striking the legs of the user as he transports the container. This can only be avoided by always transporting the container in a closed position, which is not always desirable to the user, or by providing some means to hold the cover in an open position.
However, heretofore, no such containers have been provided with any convenient way of maintaining the cover in the open position short of the user employing tape, rope or some other inconveniently applied temporary locking mechanism.